Paths of Glory Review

Number 56 on the top 1000 films of all time is Stanley Kubrick's powerful anti-war film Paths of Glory starring Kirk Douglas.

Paths of Glory is set in WW1 France.  General Mireau-a General Haigesque character, who lacks in any type of military strategy decides that the best way to take a German anthill is to throw waves of men at it.  When machine-gun fire stops their advance and they begin to retreat, General Mireau (George Macready) orders for his own artillery to open fire on them to stop them from retreating.  Thankfully, the artillery commander staunchly refuses to in the first of many acts of bravery.  To disguise his own incompetence, he puts three innocent soldiers on trial for cowardice to disguise his own in competence.  In their trial, their commander Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) fights to acquit them of the accusations.

Cowardice is the central theme of this film. Kubrick's exploration of this theme is the key reason why this film works so well.  Paths of Glory engages sensitively with the condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Shellshock.  During WW1, it was not recognised as a medical condition and those soldiers who suffered from it were accused of cowardice.  Some were tried and executed.  Unfortunately, the same thing happens in this film.  When General Mireau inspects the men, one of them breaks down upon realising that he he may never see his wife again.  Mireau immediately demands that this coward be removed from his army.  This was a subtle, but powerful way of engaging with a controversial subject.

Out of all the characters, Colonel Dax is undoubtedly the bravest.  He is most privy to General Mireau's incompetence.  When the three soldiers are on trial for cowardice, Dax fights tooth and nail to have them acquitted, despite the obvious bias of the court.  Douglas' passionate portrayal of Dax contrasted well with Macready's malevolent portrayal of Mireau.  It also showed that in war, there are always heroes and villains on both sides.  One man's good is another man's evil.

The film builds towards a bittersweet conclusion.  Due to the corrupt nature of the court, the three men are sentenced to execution.  Firstly, seeing the three men's reaction their fate was very interesting.  One of them breaks down in tears, another faces it stoically and the third takes his frustration out on the reverend who has come to read them their last rites.  These images are made all of the more powerful, due to how unjust they are.  None of them are cowards.  They just have the misfortune to serve under a general who would rather execute his own men than admit that he is wrong.  And this is exactly what happens.  I was half-expecting some deux ex machina to save all three men, but I'm glad it didn't.  It made their deaths all the more tragic.

The film's most poignant image comes at its ending.  The night before Lax's company are due to go back to the front, they are all gathered in a tavern laughing, drinking and watching a stand-up comedian.  The comedian brings out a pretty German girl leading to heckling, cat-calls and jeering.  For a second, I was scared that the girl would be taken advantage off.  However, what actually happened was far more powerful.  The girl started singing a German ballad and one by one the soldiers start singing with her.  This is the strongest example of the collective identity that soldiers share, as well as the loyalty that have towards each other.

All in all, this is a powerful film that is told succinctly.  It is understated, but heavy-hitting. It engages well with extremely sensitive subjects.  However, most importantly, it explore the separation  that exists between a man's courage and his cowardice.